Anataghori
Summary The Anataghori, or Death Eaters, or Stumpers These living men and half-breeds, are a culture of the Blood Vale who have found a unique solution for survival. They eat human flesh just like the Undying. Anataghori do not discriminate; they eat flesh of the living, carrion, and flesh of the Undying as well. They appear to be direct descendents of the Old Ones, having bright green eyes. Scholars suppose that these cursed people were once farmers in the Vale. Numbering in the few hundreds, the Anataghori have settlements in the canyon walls of the Tallow River. They are not found on the Blood. They are a people corrupted by their environment, forced to exist on a carrion-eater's diet. They subsist on leftovers from river dragon attacks; and other rotten meats found in the eddies and pools of the river. Over years, each Anataghori trains himself to eat the flesh of the undying; specks of keratin, fingernails and hair; then ground bone; then dried flesh; finally moist pieces of organ, brain and eyes. They find it a delicacy; abundant, but difficult to catch—for the Anataghori have no metal weapons and few defenses against larger groups of undying. But the most prized food of all to an Anataghori is living human flesh. Feyblood and dwarven flesh is also a treat. They find the meat of orkik and ogru and other fellbreeds off-putting—but still edible. The flesh of the living is even more difficult to come by than the undying, for few are willing to travel the Tallow River. Having few weapons, Anataaghori avoid attacking the living directly, unless they can effect an ambush. An Anataaghori rite of passage is to feast on a living victim alongside the undying. The young man or woman must eat two handfuls before retreating. Needless to say, many Anataaghori have had amputations (and that meat does not go to waste). Once an Anataaghori passes this rite, he or she cannot be considered as meat until after their death. The Anataaghori have very simple cultural norms. There is “Et” or “meat.” And there is “Na-et,” “not-meat.” The only “not-meat” are fellow adult Anataaghori. Their wishes must be respected. Anyone else that is “meat,” may be used or consumed according to an Anataaghori's whim. There appears to be no system of marriage among Anataaghori. Anataaghori who share Et draw in mating partners. Anataaghori bear many children. For various reasons (let the reader surmise), few reach adulthood. They speak corrupt dialects of human tongue. No weaving, smithing, or tilling of the land has been observed. Anataaghori display little adeptness in magic. They are thought to pray to a death cult of some sort. But no close observer has survived one of their rituals. Their villages are dug out of the limestone walls by the river, with bone tools and found wood. They wear hide or found scraps of clothing. The Anataaghori practice spear fishing; and have some skill with trap-setting and poisons. They obviously have no burial practice that does not involve barbecue. At best, or worst, they bury meat in caches to “sweeten it.” That is the Anataaghori crop. This “Ta-et”, “sweet meat” has a horrific odor, only surpassed by the most bloated of undying. They cook and heat their shelters with dried Tallow “mud,” which is flammable. They get water through collecting the evaporation of river water in egg-shaped clay cisterns about four spans high. Due to their limited supply of clothing and poor heating resources, Anataaghori are not found far north on the River. They prefer the hotter climes deep in the Vale. Keen observers can make out clusters of egg cisterns at a distance, or see vultures circling over a freshly opened cache of sweet meat, and avoid an Anataaghori settlement. Less keen observers will make out a foul smell; and by then it is too late. Location The Anataaghori live along the Grasaa River in the Planum Sangre, The Blood Vale. Estimated Numbers Like many residents of the Vale, the Anataaghori have not been fully counted. One may guess from their marginal diet and poor resources, that they number in the low thousands. Known Towns None. Allies None. Shepherds of the Blood, as part of their Oath to the Living, will rescue Anataghori on rare occasions. But they generally avoid Anataghori territory entirely. Foes Anataghori are universally despised. Characters note: Anataaghori have no names among themselves. The names listed here are used by outsiders to differentiate them. Na-Et: Tar Trum, "Black Stumps" Black Stumps, so named for what remains of his fingers, is purported to be an Anataghori chieftan. He was once captured by the Shepherds of the Blood after he attempted to eat one of the rangers. After some time, the Shepherds found him too revolting, and chose to let him go. What little is known of Anataghori life came from Black Stumps' interrogation. Na-Et: Ungrig, "Hungry One" Hungry One is a mythical Anataghori. Said to move among Undying freely, the Hungry One is used as a subject of nighttime tales throughout the countries west of the Blood Vale. Hungry One wears a cloak of human skins, bound with a belt of intestines, and sings a ghastly song in the groaning tone of the undead. Na-Et: Arall, "the Other" Arall, the Other, is a necromancer of great power. He or she is one of the few living able to live in Anataaghori lands. Only seen at a distance, the Other stands a head taller than any Anataaghori, wearing a sand colored cloak--and is always seen with a forked staff. The Anataaghori appear to fear him or her. There are rumors of a treasure cache of ancient weapons and spell books in the Other's possession. Comments "By our code, we had to save that wretch Stumps. But, by gods, this man stank! His finger stumps were gangrenous, but did not seem to pay it any mind." --Ser Cyprian, Shepherd of the Blood "Ungrig come for your fingers, Ungrig come for your toes, Ungrig come for your ears, Ungrig come for your nose... Hide in the covers, child. Hide in the bed, No, not a peep child or Ungrig will eat you dead." --Nursery rhyme in the borderlands Category:Cultures